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Welcome to the St Helens Birds and Wildlife blog. We welcome your reports from across the borough regarding all forms of wildlife. Please click on the "Report a sighting" tab if you would like to contribute to this blog.

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Scarce or vulnerable species include but are not restricted to any species of wader, ducks other than mallard, all owls, any birds of prey, grey or yellow wagtails, grey heron, all grebes, Cetti’s warbler, water rail, willow tit, corn bunting etc. If in doubt, please ask.

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Billinge Hill Midden pile

Hi, ive not posted for ages and have left a message with Colin on occasionally birding! I.m 99% poss=itive ive just seen a male stonechat at the midden pile between the hill and Houghwood just off the muddy path. It allowe me to get quite close, 15-20 yards and kept hiding behing little grassy tussocks. Eventually it flew towards the hill. Ive never seen one before but recognised it straight away. Only other alternative is Whinchat but I read theyre summer visitors?
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1 comment :

  1. Email2 March 2014 at 19:07

    Hi Andrew, that's a great find in St Helens. As you say its too early for whinchat and there's not much else that looks like a stonechat. Juvenile robins are similar but again it's too early in the year. I believe that stonechats used to be seen in the fields across from Eccleston Mere and at Prescot Resevoirs but not for a few years. I had a possible one once at Eccleston Mere but I don't really count it - see here...

    http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=223905

    Damian

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